Robert Neithart, Asst. News Editor—
Interest in midterm elections is down at Denison, not by a small margin. The reasons for this development are numerous, but some present clearer avenues of causation.
Initially cited in one twenty seven, a data-driven blog run by political scientist and Denison professor Dr. Paul Djupe, the proportion of students self-described as very or extremely interested in politics and political campaigns is down by 38 percent from 2020, with a 25 percent increase in students claiming political disinterest in 2022 compared to 2020.
Dr. Djupe cited the causes for election disinterest among Denison students to be adjacent to broad trends seen in most midterm elections, saying, “Anytime the president isn’t on the ballot, there’s less enthusiasm [and] less voter turnout,” highlighting threat as a major motivation in voter turnout, citing Trump’s presence in the political landscape as a significant motivation for Denison’s political engagement in 2020.
DU Votes co-coordinator, Tait Ferguson ‘23, echoed Dr. Djupe’s sentiments, explaining that “the lack of a national figure makes… students less engaged with their local elections.” He said that many students are uneducated about midterm elections, who’s on the ballot, and what’s at stake.
Additionally, Dr. Djupe’s study found lower rates of voter registration by Denison students in Granville, saying, “13 percent of our 2022 sample [registered to vote in Granville] compared with 31 percent of the sample in 2020.”
Explaining this development as an additional cause for low voter turnout, Dr. Djupe said, “97 percent of those registered in Granville said they were likely to vote compared to 87 percent of those registered at their home address.”
Concerning efforts to encourage voter participation and political interest among the Denison community, Ferguson said, “It’s really just visibility… and emphasizing resources to educate students regardless of where they’re registered to vote.”
As a nonpartisan organization, Ferguson explained that DU Votes simply seeks to educate and inform, creating a campus culture wherein civic engagement is the norm, naturally leading to an interest in elections and politics in a broad sense.
Though it’s difficult to conclude whether this year’s data implies a true decrease in voter engagement or a return to normalcy, given the distinctive nature of 2020, Dr. Djupe and Ferguson agree on one thing: Midterm elections matter. Irrespective of one’s political affiliation, they can be instrumental in determining the future standing of the president’s party; as such, voters should recognize the value of this opportunity and engage with a rekindled sense of purpose. After all, it isn’t democracy without the voice of the governed.